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Cover of This Heart of Mine

This Heart of Mine

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

370 pages

A witty, sun-drenched sports romance where a quirky children's book illustrator battles her attraction to an arrogant quarterback with surprising hidden depths.

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What it feels like

This contemporary romance delivers a brisk, breezy reading experience that balances witty banter with surprising emotional depth. The narrative tone is playful and wry, perfectly capturing the chaotic charm of a quirky children's book illustrator whose comfortable life is upended by a seemingly shallow, daredevil quarterback. As the setting shifts to a picturesque summer lake town filled with paintbox cottages, the mood becomes sun-drenched and charming, though grounded by underlying themes of sibling shadows, hidden depths, and the complexities of birthmotherhood. The prose is lighthearted and character-driven, effortlessly moving from comedic clashes over poodles and Ferraris to moments of genuine vulnerability and heartbreak. It is an ideal read for those who devour opposites-attract sports romances featuring stubborn protagonists and unforgettable summer backdrops.

Mood
  • breezy
  • summery
  • romantic
  • charming
Tone
  • wry
  • playful
  • humorous
  • dramatic
Pace
brisk
Themes
opposites attract · hidden depths · sibling shadows · battling attraction · unexpected heartbreak
The writing
Lighthearted, witty, and character-driven, balancing comedic observations with moments of genuine emotional vulnerability.
The arc
Moves from a comfortable, slightly chaotic existence through sudden heartbreak into a transformative, summer-drenched battle of wills and unexpected depth.
Who it's for
Readers who love contemporary sports romances with quirky heroines, arrogant but secretly deep athletes, and charming summer settings.
Content notes
  • heartbreak
  • birthmother themes

About the book

Molly Somerville knows she has a reputation for trouble. She did give away her fifteen-million-dollar inheritance, but, hey, nobody's perfect. Still, if anyone has an almost perfect life, it's Molly. While her Daphne the Bunny children's books could be selling better, she loves her cramped loft, her French poodle, and her career creating the fictional animals who live in Nightingale Woods. She even loves her sister, Phoebe.

True, it was a little tough growing up in her shadow. Phoebe is beautiful, blissfully married, and the owner of the most successful professional football team in America. But who other than your sister knows you're about to do something drastic every time you change your hair? Yes, Molly's happy about almost everything... except her long-term crush on the daredevil quarterback for the Chicago Stars, that awful, gorgeous Kevin Tucker, a man who can't even remember her name!

One night Molly's penchant for running into trouble runs right into Kevin himself, turning her world upside down. Heartbreak follows, and just when she's certain things can't get worse, Kevin forces his way back into her life. If only the overpaid, Ferrari-driving, poodle-hating jock was as shallow as she wants him to be, she could get on with her almost perfect life. But Kevin's hidden depths and iron will propel Molly out of her comfortable existence into an unforgettable summer at a place called Wind Lake. Surrounded by paintbox cottages and a charming old bed-and-breakfast, she and Kevin battle their attraction while trying to cope with an aging sexpot actress, a cranky world-famous artist, and a pair of teenage newlyweds.

Their careers and lives are in crisis... yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Before the summer is over, will they be able to learn one of life's most important lessons? Sometimes falling in love hurts, sometimes it makes you mad as hell, and sometimes if you're very lucky it can heal in the most special and unexpected way.

Description from Open Library.

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